How is Jasper doing? Xxxxx
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How is Jasper doing? Xxxxx
Checking again. I hope no news is good news. Xxxxx
I'm with Kathy...no news is good news and hoping Jasper is feeling fine.
Barbara
:eek: EEeek!! Not happy to return and read this Tina :mad: Jeepers I hope everything has settled back down again and he is fighting fit again!! What did your vet say? Hopefully we will hear from you soon although I think you said 1st week of month is awful busy for you, so your probably knackered!! Paw's up Jasper!! xxx
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for checking on Jasper. He had been doing ok, no further diarrhea or vomiting and then last night (Sunday) at 6:30 he just suddenly vomited out of the blue. He had not eaten dinner yet, so this was left from his late morning breakfast. He just vomited once thank goodness. He seemed hungry later so I gave him just 1/2 cup of hamburger/rice (half his usual portion) about 45 min later. He ate it and it has stayed down. He got his metronidazole after that, I held the Enalapril.
I had tried mixing in 1/4 cup of his food for breakfast to start transitioning him back to his food, but I don't think that made him sick or I think he would have thrown up sooner. So I don't know what triggered it. I've gone back to just the bland diet for a couple more meals, and also holding the fish oil. We've been up for his pit stop and he was hovering in the kitchen so I gave him another 1/2 cup of hamburger/rice at 0230. So far so good, he is resting on the couch.
I was not able to talk to my vet on Friday like I had hoped. When I called, I found out she was already on vacation. :( So since he was doing better I figured I would continue the bland diet and metronidazole. I guess that is what I will do now since he vomited just once again. It is just so worrisome and hard to know if pancreatitis is starting up again, or if his Addison's is getting unstable.
I am a little worried that he hasn't pooped since thursday morning (2/27), but he had horrible diarrhea so I imagine he was pretty cleaned out. And now has been eating less, and the bland diet. Plus it is so bloody cold here, below zero temps and wind chill, so he rushes right back in the house. I think this has happened to him before, it takes a while to get things moving again. Hopefully he will poo before I go to work in a few hours.
Kind of had some difficulty over the weekend with my Nana also, so I wasn't on the forum much. I need to clone myself it seems.
Well, back to bed for a little bit. I have a busy day at work ahead of me. :mad: Yes Trish, I am knackered, and the weekend didn't help much with that! Glad you're back safe, I just posted on your thread. Thanks again everyone for checking on us, and please keep the positive thoughts coming. :)
Hugs,
Tina and Jasper xo
Gosh, Tina, I am sorry Jasper had a bit of an issue and so did your Nana.
Can you try just a teaspoon of pumpkin if he does not poo today? Maybe he needs to stay on the bland diet a bit longer. They give metronidazole for pancreatitis so if that is flaring up a bit, the metronidazole may help with that. Also, the metronidazole can make them sometimes feel sick to their tummy, I always gave it to Zoe with food after a meal.
How long is your vet on vacation?
hugs and love Tina, I know your are worried.
Tina,
It's not unusual to not poop for a few days after having diarrhea. The same thing happens to Daisy.
Happy that he's better now.
How is Nana?
Hope everything is ok when you get home from work.
Oh gosh, that is terrible that Jasper had another episode of throwing up. Hopefully this plan will work out for him for the next little while.
Let us know when you get a chance.
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin
Oh yikes, I missed your report last night. Sorry about that Tina. I have everything crossed all has been well with Jasper today. Hope he does a good poop too, that really helps. Darn your vet being away, just when you needed to talk to her too, I hate having to see another vet when our own is away. Hope work was not too manic so you got home to your boy at a decent time, be looking out for his latest report. xxx
Thinking of you both today
Hi Everyone,
Jasper is hanging in there. He did finally poo on Monday morning 3/3, so things are trying to get moving again. Not near normal yet though. Last night for supper I started mixing half and half of his kibble and the hamburger/rice. I will do that for a couple of meals and then advance further as long as he tolerates it. He had a poo yesterday that seemed pretty soft again, so I am watching it. I would like to get him fully transitioned back to his food while he is still on the metronidazole. I think we have 3 more days of that. He seems to be feeling ok for the most part, but sometimes he will just sit there looking at me and looks uncomfortable. No further vomiting since Sunday evening, so that is a big relief.
I have noticed that he has a couple of small bumps on his back and head that have cropped up. One on his back has been there for a few months, and I'm pretty sure my vet glanced at it at one point and said it was a papilloma and didn't seem too concerned. It is quite a bit larger now, and he has a smaller one on his head now that looks the same, as well as two others on his back that look different. :eek: So I will need to have those checked when my vet is back from vacation next week. Always something to worry about I guess. His repeat labwork is coming due also to see how the lowfat diet is affecting his high triglycerides (hopefully it is making a difference), and follow up liver values and electrolytes.
My Nana is doing ok for the moment, sometimes it is minute by minute with her also. She has recovered well physically since her fall on Thanksgiving, but her mental status has deteriorated quite a bit. I don't know how to say this exactly without sounding unkind, but she has always had a mean streak, and this side of her seems much more apparent and prevalent now with her cognitive changes. So it can be very difficult.
Thanks for checking on my boy. Keeping fingers crossed here that he continues to stabilize. :)
Hugs,
Tina and Jasper xo
Hi Tina,
I am glad to hear Jasper is on the mend. Does my heart good.:) Your vet cant get back from vacation soon enough!!!
Our elders seem to go through an institution dementia that can affect them in different ways, it is very hard on them when their environment changes. I went through something similar with my mom with her first fracture. They are mourning a loss and can lash out. My mom would be so mean to the aides and me sometimes.
It is very difficult to deal with.
Thinking of you both.
Hi Tina,
Yay for good poops. Hope that soft one was a one off and Jasper gets back to normal.
*sigh* Yea, I went through the same thing with my dad when he was in the nursing home. Throw in Alzheimers and it sometimes wasn't a very good situation and the aides had to be careful of him, even his dearest friends, he just didn't know who they were and would lash out. It was pretty awful. He never did to me, but he could say some awful things. I know that if he had been himself, he would have been horrified by his action and words. It's hard for sure. Just hang in there and do the best you can.
hugs,
sharlene and molly muffin
Hi Tina,
I guess we all are facing the list of doggie worries and family worries...it never seems to let up lately! It really does feel like one thing after the other..with no break.
When elderly people have a fall it really takes a toll on them. My mother was not in great shape when she had a fall last May, after that things were never quite the same mentally. She would sometimes say things to her caregiver that were not so nice and worse...completely unlike her to ever be like that...but their brains change and it isn't easy to watch that happen or to cope with it. They just lose that filter and say whatever comes to mind. It's hard.
You know they always say "schnauzer bumps" are common with the breed. Besides this thing on her paw which seemingly sprang up over night, Trixie has two tiny little bumps on her body that have been there for a few years, plus now the lipoma which came right after the Cushings. It is common for older dogs to get papilloma...which are warts. They can change, get bigger and also shrink. That sounds like what Jasper has. I've been looking at the photos of these things ever since I found this growth on Trixie's foot. I was hoping that was what Trixie had, a wart, but it wasn't. I guess later I will know the results of the test on this thing she has.
I hope Jasper's system is getting settled and that he's getting back to 100% and that the triglycerides are looking good when you next check.
I haven't started using fish oil yet but wondering how you give it to Jasper? Do you just put it on his food? When you first started using it did he have any reaction...bad poops or gas, anything you would notice? I guess you are not using it right now while he's still recovering. So happy there was no more vomiting...that's a relief!!
I keep thinking Spring is almost here and hoping it brings good health to all our dogs!
Barbara
Tina,
I'm glad that Jasper continues to do well.
As for Nana, the mean streak showing through or in some cases, the individual was never mean and now is, isn't uncommon unfortunately. Our brains do crazy things when they're impaired.
I had an aunt who was so sweet, always smiling etc. She developed Alzheimer and near the end my cousin was fortunate enough to hire a full time nurse so that Aunt June could stay at home. We all went out for lunch one day and I couldn't believe it when I saw my aunt snarl at her nurse who was trying to coax her to eat more.
Do they know the reason for the rapid change? I ask because physical illnesses such as UTIs can cause these changes.
Hi Tina
Pleased to hear Jasper has perked up again, gosh it is not nice when things take a turn for the worse, one little vomit yesterday and my worry radar went on high alert... not good! Hope our wee man has had a good few days and you are getting his food transitioned with no hiccups.
Your poor Nana and also poor you having to deal with all that. It really does take it out of you caring for rellies and our pups too, sometimes it all gets so busy and I just want to slow the life rushing by and get off the roller coaster for a bit. This weekend is quiet time for me and Flynn, I have no trips out apart from the hospital of course :rolleyes: and just enjoy a relaxing weekend, I hope you can do the same! xx
Hi Everyone,
Jasper seems to have recovered for the most part from his bout of colitis. He is currently fasting for a vet appt and repeat labwork in the morning. I checked in with my vet to let her know that he had been sick and she said it was ok to still get the labwork as planned, including the UPC. I specifically asked about the UPC maybe being skewed since he and been sick but she said it would be ok. He has been back on his food completely since Saturday morning, so she felt the triglyceride level would not be affected. I am praying that the low fat diet has made a difference and there will be improvement. He will have all the bumps on his back checked also, and a general once over.
Barbara, I add the fish oil to Jasper's food. I mix it up real good so it pretty much coats the kibble. He did not have any problem adjusting to it when we first started. No bad poops or gas. He was on it for quite a while to treat the hyperlipidemia before he got Cushings. And now it is also a critical component in treatment of his proteinuria.
Thanks for all the support and encouragement about my Nana. While her cognitive status has deteriorated, the mean streak unfortunately has been something she has had her whole life, even when I was a kid. :( It just seems to surface more frequently now, which is not surprising. There has been some meanness toward the assisted living staff also, but thankfully that is not the norm so far. Although it does seem to be increasing there as well.
Well, I better get some more shut eye, have to get up earlier than usual for Jasper's appt. All fingers, paws and stubs crossed here for some good results for my little man. :)
Hugs,
Tina and Jasper xo
GOOD LUCK JASPER!!! xxxxx
Tina, I just thought of one more thing. I was discussing the pro's and con's of enalopril vs benzapril with Mike a wee while back and he said he has found more GI issues with enalopril. I have been considering swapping Flynn over to that but with his tummy upset lately I have put it off a month. There would be a considerable saving for me as benzapril for Flynny is around $140 per month vs enalopril of about $10. Maybe something you could ask your vet too as I do not think it is that expensive here. We get special dog benzapril, but you have to use human enalopril. x
How did it go today Tina? Hope you get up for a pitstop to let me know!! Was thinking about you and sending got vibes to Jasper to get A+++ results!!
Checking in to see how things went at Jaspers appt today. Hope all is well and only good news!
hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin
Checking on how Jasper's appt. went and thinking of you both. Xxxxxx
Hi Girls,
Thanks for checking in on us. Jasper had his blood drawn Wednesday evening 3/12. I decided to hold off on the UPC since he had been sick in the last couple of weeks. I told my vet I would feel more comfortable waiting another week and she was agreeable with that. As long as Jasper continues to be stable during this time, I plan to run a urine sample in the middle of next week.
The lab results should be in today, so I am patiently (not really) waiting for my vet to call. :) Just wanted to post real quick as I am at work.
I will check in later. Yay Friday!!!! :D
Hugs,
Tina and Jasper
Agreed!! YAY FRIDAY!!!
Hope you get some great news from the blood tests. :) :)
huggggggs
Sharlene and molly muffin
Hi Everyone,
I need to post Jasper's lab results from last Wednesday. My vet called with the results on Friday 3/14, but I wanted to wait until I got the printed copy so I would have all the numbers to compare with the last chem profile. I picked it up last night while he was in getting his Percorten injection. I will post the numbers later, because right now, we are still celebrating Jasper's birthday! My Little Man is 10 today! So hard to believe, and certainly something to celebrate after all we have made it through over the past two years. I took the day off from work to spend with him. :) :D :)
I promised him I would spend the whole day with him, no errands, no cleaning or chores, and no being on the computer. :rolleyes: Lots of times when I am on my ipad on the forum, he will try to get on my lap, or sit right in front of me and put his chin on my leg. He knows it takes my attention and he tries to butt in any way he can. Then when I set it down he gets all excited, like he knows he will have my attention then. Smart boy he is. It is so cute. So I told myself as part of our celebration, there would be no internet today. :)
We just hung out all day, played some, and watched a couple of movies. It was wonderful for both of us, and Shelby too. He spent most of the day doing his favorite thing, snuggling or snoozing on the couch. This really is about all I can do to try to make the day special for him since he can't really have a cake or any special food or treats anymore. :( We had a glorious day.
So I will be back on later to catch up a bit on everyone and post the labwork.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SWEET BABY BOY!!!
Hugs,
Tina and Jasper
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASPER!!!! YAY 10 YEARS OLD!! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
I'm so glad you got to spend your day with the birthday boy!! I hope he's been feeling good and doing well!!
Trixie will be 10 in May so she and Jasper are just about the same...in both age and breed!
I bet Shelby enjoyed having you home too!! Sounds like a great doggie day for all!! ;)
Barbara
whoo hoooo!!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASPER!!!!!!!!!!!
That sounds like a wonderful day Tina! So glad you and Jasper got to Really enjoy it and Shelby too. Perfect!
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin
That is adorable and spending time with you beats cake anyday!
Happy Birthday Jasper.
happy birthday Jasper boy! xxxx
YAY PARTY TIME!!!CELEBRATING WITH YOU!!HAPPY DOUBLE DIGITS JASPER xxxxxx :D:D:D:D:D
Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday from me, too!!!!
:D :) :p :D :) :p :D :) :p :D :) :p :D
Marianne
happy birthday Jasper
Happy 10th Birthday, Jasper!
Happy Birthday Jasper!!!!
Hi Everyone,
Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes for Jasper! I think he had a really good day, even without any special treats. (Marianne, thank you for adjusting his age in our thread title :) ). It was so nice to be home with him where we could just relax all day. That was the best part. I have taken Thursday and today off also, which has been wonderful. I have been incredibly burned out at work, I am hoping that taking a couple of days will recharge the battery some.
Yesterday unfortunately, I was out running errands all day, and spent a good part of the day with my Nana and taking care of things for her. So I don't think Jasper felt that this was any different than if I was at work since I was gone all day. But I plan to spend some quality time with both he and Shelby over the next couple of days now. Too bad I have lots of housework to do too. :(
I dropped off a urine sample yesterday morning for his follow up UPC, so those results should be back some time today. I am worrying about it because we had to switch him off the moderate protein restricted renal diet to low fat diet due to his high triglycerides. I am just praying that the diet change has not increased the protein loss in his kidneys.
His bloodwork from last week looked pretty good for the most part. The triglycerides, while still not near the normal range, went down significantly, so the low fat diet has made a difference. Yay!!! :p His ALP was still very high, and now his ALT was high again. This had gone back into the normal range last time, so my vet is a bit concerned with that.
For comparison, here are the abnormals from 12/16/13:
ALP 2278 (<95 IU/L) H
LDH 288 (<175 IU/L) H
Cholesterol 350 (125-260 mg/dL) H
Triglycerides 1114 (41-115 mg/dL) H :eek: :mad:
And the abnormals from last week 03/12/14:
ALP 2291 (<95 IU/L) H :(
ALT 148 (<100 IU/L) H :( :mad:
Cholesterol 269 (125-260 mg/dL) H :)
Triglycerides 423 (41-115 mg/dL) H :D :) :D
So the LDH is back down to normal this time (not sure what that means, nothing I have read explains the role of LDH very well), but the ALT is back up. It was really good last time at 73.
My vet said that the increase in the ALT could be because of his recent episode of colitis 3 weeks ago and that his pancreas could have been a little inflamed along with that which could cause it to go up. Also he had been off the Denamarin for at least a week while he was sick, which may contribute. So we will plan to monitor that. As far as the high ALP, she said she wasn't too concerned about it. It does not seem to be going down at all, even with the Denamarin. :mad: She was very pleased with the decrease in the triglycerides even though it is still quite elevated. She said now it is not at the level where it should cause problems with his pancreas. I guess 4 times normal beats 11 times normal any day! :)
His electrolytes were all good, right in the middle of the normal range for each. Double Yay!! Based on that we decreased the Percorten dose again by another 0.05 ml. His dose on 3/17 was 0.5 ml, and she said this is where we will keep it as long as he stays stable. This is about half the dose that we started out with initially for his weight.
His kidney values (BUN and creatinine) were in the normal range also, so that was a big relief. I have been keeping an eye on his serum creatinine, because while it has stayed in the normal range, it has been trending upward. In December it was up to 1.01 (0.50-1.50 mg/dL), and the most recent is 0.75. So I am very happy about that!
So I'm very pleased overall, my boy did good!! ;)
Now keeping fingers crossed for the UPC results. I will post that as soon as I hear. Time to do some catching up on the forum in between watching basketball.
Hugs,
Tina and Jasper xo
Hi Tina
Lovely to read these good results and fingers and paws crossed for a good UPC. Those darn liver levels are a mystery but I have to think not going higher is good but they do seem to fluctuate with other health issues going on at the same time, so I think your vet is making sense saying the colitis +/- pancreatitis could have contributed to that!
Lovely you have a few days off, sounds like you needed it and recharging our own batteries is so important when most of the time we are focussing on someone else.
I am doing the same this weekend, just chilling out. I am just contemplating turning the heater on!! NOooooooooooooooooooooooooo too early for that, so I just put socks on instead and a blankie on Flynn while he is having his morning snooze on the couch!
Hi Tina,
Lovely you are getting some time with the gang. :) Jasper and Shelby and Tina, the official gang. LOL
hmm, well, Jasper might not thought it was any different of a day if you were away, but I bet you were glad to just have some time to get things done without work on top of it all.
It would great to have perfect numbers, but that seldom happens with any of us on the forum it seems.
The vet is right, he did just have that attack recently and I know that it takes molly's numbers Months to come back down after they flare up when she has a gastro issue. The liver is like this little gauge that goes up with anything goes wrong it seems.
Have an excellent weekend with the "gang". :)
Remember do something fun!!
hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin
So sorry about the Huskers! :(
Jeepers, but there have already been some big upsets in the basketball tournament! :eek: :eek:
Thanks Marianne, it was disappointing, they did not have a good peformance. And it doesn't help that the coach was ejected. :eek: :( Very unlike him. But on a positive note Creighton (located in Omaha) won their game and will advance, so that is great news. I attended both schools but actually graduated from Creighton, so I have dual allegiance for basketball and baseball!!
Yes, some very big upsets. I couldn't believe my ears with the results of the Duke game, had to do a double take. :eek: